Neuromuscular junction disorders: Pathology review
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Neuromuscular junction disorders: Pathology review
Musculoskeletal system
Bone disorders
Osteomyelitis
Bone tumors
Chondrosarcoma
Osteochondroma
Achondroplasia
Arthrogryposis
Cleidocranial dysplasia
Club foot
Craniosynostosis
Flat feet
Genu valgum
Genu varum
Osteogenesis imperfecta
Pectus excavatum
Pigeon toe
Lordosis, kyphosis, and scoliosis
Osteomalacia and rickets
Osteopetrosis
Osteoporosis
Osteosclerosis
Paget disease of bone
Musculoskeletal injuries and trauma
Degenerative disc disease
Sciatica
Spinal disc herniation
Spondylolisthesis
Spondylolysis
Achilles tendon rupture
Anterior cruciate ligament injury
Iliotibial band syndrome
Meniscus tear
Patellar tendon rupture
Patellofemoral pain syndrome
Sprained ankle
Unhappy triad
Compartment syndrome
Rhabdomyolysis
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Erb-Duchenne palsy
Klumpke paralysis
Sciatica
Thoracic outlet syndrome
Ulnar claw
Winged scapula
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Dislocated shoulder
Erb-Duchenne palsy
Klumpke paralysis
Radial head subluxation (Nursemaid elbow)
Rotator cuff tear
Thoracic outlet syndrome
Ulnar claw
Winged scapula
Musculoskeletal system pathology review
Back pain: Pathology review
Bone disorders: Pathology review
Bone tumors: Pathology review
Gout and pseudogout: Pathology review
Muscular dystrophies and mitochondrial myopathies: Pathology review
Myalgias and myositis: Pathology review
Neuromuscular junction disorders: Pathology review
Pediatric musculoskeletal disorders: Pathology review
Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis: Pathology review
Scleroderma: Pathology review
Seronegative and septic arthritis: Pathology review
Sjogren syndrome: Pathology review
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): Pathology review
Assessments
Neuromuscular junction disorders: Pathology review
USMLE® Step 1 questions
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Questions
USMLE® Step 1 style questions USMLE
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Reproduced from: Radiopaedia.org
Laboratory testing reveals a creatinine kinase level of 75 U/L. Which of the following additional examination findings will most likely be present in this patient?
Transcript
Content Reviewers
While doing your rounds, you see Kira, a 23-year-old female who presents with a series of recurrent symptoms that get worse as the day progresses. These include slurring of speech, difficulty swallowing, and double vision. She also mentions that her head feels heavy and is hard to hold up. She also complained that her arms are so weak she can’t even brush her hair. Additionally, she reports severe fatigue and shortness of breath. On examination, sensation and reflexes are normal. Next, you see a 62-year-old man named Jonathan, who presents with a history of leg muscle weakness that prevents him from doing simple things like climbing stairs or standing up, which gets better the more he uses his legs. He also reports shortness of breath, fatigue, dry mouth, impotence, and unintentional weight loss. Examination reveals a severely underweight man with dilated pupils. Reflexes are initially absent, although these are obtainable after a brief period of exercise. Blood tests were obtained, detecting anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies in Kira and anti-voltage-gated calcium channels antibodies in Jonathan.
Now, both seem to have some type of neuromuscular junction disease. But first, a bit of physiology. In normal neuromuscular function, a nerve impulse is carried down the axon from the spinal cord, to the nerve endings, in the neuromuscular junction, where the impulse is transferred to the muscle cell. Here, the nerve impulse leads to the opening of voltage-gated calcium channels, causing an influx of calcium ions into the nerve terminal, which triggers synaptic vesicle fusion with plasma membrane. These synaptic vesicles contain a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, which is released into the synaptic cleft. The neurotransmitter then binds to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on muscle cell membranes and activates a chain reaction in the muscles that ultimately results in their contraction.
Sources
- "Robbins Basic Pathology" Elsevier (2017)
- "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, Twentieth Edition (Vol.1 & Vol.2)" McGraw-Hill Education / Medical (2018)
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